Kenya to become visa-free to Nigerian, other African visitors

Nigerians and other Africans intending to travel to Kenya from 2024 will no longer need visas, President William Ruto has said.

President Ruto said the move was aimed at boosting trade with African countries. He spoke on Saturday while making a keynote address at the Three Basins Climate Change Conference in Brazzaville, Congo.

“By the end of this year, no African will need a visa to enter Kenya. The time has come to understand the importance of doing trade between us,” he said.

President Ruto said the rate of intra-African trade was low and called for the reduction of customs tariffs within the African continent to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“It is time we realize the importance of trading among ourselves and allowing goods, services, people and ideas to move freely across the continent,” he said.

Good for Nigerians

Nigerians currently require a visa to visit Kenya, although Nigerian citizens have the option of obtaining a visa upon arrival.

Visa-free travel within Africa has been a goal of the African Union (AU) for the past decade. While there are regional deals and bilateral arrangements, progress towards continent-wide access has been slow.

Only Seychelles, The Gambia and Benin offer entry to all African citizens without a visa, according to a 2022 AU-backed report.

Last week, Kenya abolished visa requirements for Angolans. Comoros and Senegal nationals were in July given the freedom to come into the country visa-free.

In February this year, Eritrea and Kenya agreed to permanently scrap visa requirements for their citizens.

President Ruto told an audience in Congo-Brazzaville that limiting Africans from travelling within the continent was bad for business.

“When people cannot travel, businesspeople cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel, we all become net losers,” he said.

“Let me say this: As Kenya, by the end of this year, no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya,” he said to loud cheers from the conference delegates.

“Our children form this continent should not be locked in borders in Europe and also be locked in borders in Africa.”